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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by keri on November 13, 2001, at 14:20:34
Hi-
I just started taking effexor xr 4 weeks ago (for the last 2 weeks, 150 mg). The side effects are crazy and I don't know if I'm still adjusting to the meds or if they will go away. I'm dizzy and nauseaous but not like I'm going to pass out...it's funky. My hands have had tremors and I have absolutely positivitly no interest in sex (which the side effects said this usually only affects males). The mood swings also seem pretty bad but I can't tell if it's from anxiety attacks or the meds.
I'm thinking of going cold turkey because I don't feel like myself at all but I can tell that it's helping with the depression. After reading several of these posts, I'm afraid to go off of it but it looks like the effects keep getting worse.
Plus, I can't get time off of work to figure this out with my doctor so I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Please help.
Posted by jay on November 13, 2001, at 16:18:18
In reply to new to effexor xr...side effects...ugh., posted by keri on November 13, 2001, at 14:20:34
Keri:
Careful with going off it cold turkey. It may not be bad withdrawl for you, but you don't want to chance it. I also suggest what seems to help with Effexor, and that is get down to the 37.5mg dose, and stay there until you feel fine with it. I often wonder why docs push this drug to high doses so fast, in particular when people are still having so many adjustment problems and side-effects. Best wishes....keep us posted!
Jay
> Hi-
>
> I just started taking effexor xr 4 weeks ago (for the last 2 weeks, 150 mg). The side effects are crazy and I don't know if I'm still adjusting to the meds or if they will go away. I'm dizzy and nauseaous but not like I'm going to pass out...it's funky. My hands have had tremors and I have absolutely positivitly no interest in sex (which the side effects said this usually only affects males). The mood swings also seem pretty bad but I can't tell if it's from anxiety attacks or the meds.
>
> I'm thinking of going cold turkey because I don't feel like myself at all but I can tell that it's helping with the depression. After reading several of these posts, I'm afraid to go off of it but it looks like the effects keep getting worse.
>
> Plus, I can't get time off of work to figure this out with my doctor so I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.
>
> Please help.
Posted by Pamela Lynn on November 13, 2001, at 18:21:33
In reply to new to effexor xr...side effects...ugh., posted by keri on November 13, 2001, at 14:20:34
Keri...PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do NOT go off of any of your meds. cold turkey. Not a good idea! I have to tell you that I last Jan., when I had just gotten out of the Psyc. ward I went cold turkey off of two of my meds., that I was on at the time...BAD IDEA...The cold turkey method made me feel WORSE then the side affects of the med. itself!!
Have you talked to your doctor about this? Please do if you haven't done so already. I have to tell you, I am on Effexor myself, and I did my homework before taking it...the side effects you are talking about are very low in incidence...You are probably (obvioulsy..duh!lol)very sensitive to the med. Perhaps you need your dosage lowered, or you need to be tapered off of the Effexor all together (maybe take the reg. Effexor instead of the XR) and put on something entirely different med. wise. Good luck with whatever you do.
P.L.
Hi-
>
> I just started taking effexor xr 4 weeks ago (for the last 2 weeks, 150 mg). The side effects are crazy and I don't know if I'm still adjusting to the meds or if they will go away. I'm dizzy and nauseaous but not like I'm going to pass out...it's funky. My hands have had tremors and I have absolutely positivitly no interest in sex (which the side effects said this usually only affects males). The mood swings also seem pretty bad but I can't tell if it's from anxiety attacks or the meds.
>
> I'm thinking of going cold turkey because I don't feel like myself at all but I can tell that it's helping with the depression. After reading several of these posts, I'm afraid to go off of it but it looks like the effects keep getting worse.
>
> Plus, I can't get time off of work to figure this out with my doctor so I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.
>
> Please help.
Posted by juliedealer on November 14, 2001, at 9:46:13
In reply to Re: new to effexor xr...side effects...ugh., posted by Pamela Lynn on November 13, 2001, at 18:21:33
>I had the worst perspiration problem of my life, and continual nausea, I owuld have put up with the side effect if the drug had done something for my depression, unfortunately it did not aleviate it at all for me >
julie
Posted by angel1 on November 14, 2001, at 18:47:43
In reply to new to effexor xr...side effects...ugh., posted by keri on November 13, 2001, at 14:20:34
IF I MAY ADD MY TWO CENTS. KEEP GOING WITH THE
EFFEXOR. SOMETIMES IT TAKES A WHILE BEFORE THE
SIDE EFFECTS WEAR OFF. IT DOES TAKE TIME AND
PATIENCE. IF IT IS HELPING ALREADY I WOULDN'T ADVISE
WEANING YOURSELF OFF. WHAT WOULD YOUR PDOC TELL
YOU? I AM ON EFFEXOR 150MG JUST FINISHED MY
SECOND WEEK ON THIS DOSE AND I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT
YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. BUT I AM GOING TO WAIT IT OUT AND HOPEFULLY MY BODY AND MIND WILL ADJUST TO
THIS MEDICINE. IT'S BETTER THAN LAYING IN BED ALL DAY AND THINKING ABOUT SUICIDE. PLEASE CONSIDER ALL OPTIONS CAREFULLY AND TALK TO A PROFESSIONAL BEFORE TAKING YOURSELF OFF. IT WAS PRESCRIBED FOR A REASON. GOD BLESS.
Posted by Mark H. on November 15, 2001, at 20:56:35
In reply to new to effexor xr...side effects...ugh., posted by keri on November 13, 2001, at 14:20:34
In my entirely non-professional and personally subjective opinion, if you're still having the side effects you describe, your doctor may have increased your dosage too rapidly, or alternatively, you might do better on regular Effexor, which tends to wear off as the day wears on. For some of us, being able to sleep at night depends on the Effexor having worn off considerably before we go to bed; the extended release version strives to keep your serum levels of Effexor constant throughout the day and night. Works like a charm for some people, makes life miserable for others.
Likewise, going off of Effexor for some of us isn't just about dropping back to one 37.5 mg tablet or even one-half tablet a day. For some of us, we must go to a quarter tablet FOR SEVERAL DAYS, and then to the smallest amount of the tablet that we can break off, swallow and absorb (without getting lost in a piece of food). ;-) Tapering off of Effexor -- for some of us -- takes weeks to months. Going "cold turkey" off of Effexor, given your side effects, might be a less than wonderful experience. Consider tapering slowly instead. If you become seriously nauseous, take a little more that day and taper even more slowly.
Effexor is a wonderful, effective anti-depressant for many of us, but it has to be managed, whether you're increasing your dosage or trying to get off of it. It is good to go slowly either way.
My apologies to all who have heard me say this once or twice before. ;-)
Let us know what works for you, OK?
Mark H.
Posted by Kristi on November 18, 2001, at 19:56:26
In reply to new to effexor xr...side effects...ugh., posted by keri on November 13, 2001, at 14:20:34
Hi......
Everyone is right.... it is definately best not to go off cold turkey!!! But there are some people(me) who can't be convinced. I'm the type that if I don't like what a drug is doing to me... I go off it. My doctors hate me for this, but oh well. Anyway..... if you don't do the cutting down method.... have some benadryl handy and see if you can get a couple doses of prozac.. it helps tremendously with the withdrawal. I had some pretty nasty withdrawal symtoms that the prozac really helped. Good luck..... and keep us posted!! Kristi> Hi-
>
> I just started taking effexor xr 4 weeks ago (for the last 2 weeks, 150 mg). The side effects are crazy and I don't know if I'm still adjusting to the meds or if they will go away. I'm dizzy and nauseaous but not like I'm going to pass out...it's funky. My hands have had tremors and I have absolutely positivitly no interest in sex (which the side effects said this usually only affects males). The mood swings also seem pretty bad but I can't tell if it's from anxiety attacks or the meds.
>
> I'm thinking of going cold turkey because I don't feel like myself at all but I can tell that it's helping with the depression. After reading several of these posts, I'm afraid to go off of it but it looks like the effects keep getting worse.
>
> Plus, I can't get time off of work to figure this out with my doctor so I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.
>
> Please help.
This is the end of the thread.
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